hi to all. I am not satisfied with the stock pup on my explorer. i need more balls so i want to upgrade with something a lot heavier. my local store recommend emg 81-60 or x2n-pafpro... any suggestions?

It all depends if you like passive or active pickups... If you like the sound of EMGs go for EMGs. I've seen a couple of guitarists use EMGs in Explorer/Explorer-type guitars (like Devin Townsend in the good old days) and of course it's devastating.
An Explorer body with all that premium wood though, would be awesome as hell with an X2N. I prefer the coloring and feel of passive pickups so my choice is obvious. It's the reason I'm putting an X2N in my Warrior.

__________________

^Pretty much but the x2n is so high output that it really masks a great deal of whatever sound characteristics your guitar's wood has. I would go with something with less output than the x2n personally. Maybe a Duncan SH-5 Custom or a dimarzio Steve's special since they're high output but are bright and clear, not as grindy as the x2n but still aggressive.

But if you only want the most edgy sound you can get then a x2n or an active pickup is your best bet for the bridge.

__________________

what about the neck?

i'd do x2n/paf pro.

x2n is bruuuutalz, and 81's suck balls. Really thin sounding and compressed.

also, the paf pro is a great neck pickup.

__________________

I always get some good chunk out my EMG guitars. The trick with the 81 is to never use it alone. Compliment the 81 bridge with a little neck pup volume. I have loved that tone for years.

__________________

For the neck position the Paf pro is great as well as the Air Norton, although the air norton is better paired with lower output pickups, not something as over the top the x2n.

When I had the 81/85 it sounded horribly muddy when the selector switch was in the center, much like every hum-hum configuration I've ever used. I always use the bridge alone for rhythm.

The 81 is great if you just want a simple but effective edgy grit but the frequency response is very flat, the bass-mids-highs are all on the same level which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your taste. It will not complement whatever sound characteristics your guitar has except sustain.

Passive pickups generally have a more detailed sound and respond differently with your playing. You can't hear the difference between an active and a passive very clearly, but you can feel it when you dig in to the strings. Passive pickups sound louder and grindier if you play harder and softer of you play softer(the x2n is kind of an exception), emgs sound same-y no matter how you play. Again that depends on what kind of sound and feel you like.

If you go passive, get a bridge pickup that doesn't have too much bass/low mids(examples: tonezone, breed, invader, duncan distortion).

__________________